Hey guys, sorry it took a bit longer for me to uptade. I never celebrate halloween before, not once in my entire life, so i wasn't sure what to do... This is what I came up with.
"Come on, Cat, let's go" screamed Sara from the doorway. "We want to have fun"
"Yeah, mom, hurry up. I won't win any candy if we don't leave now"
"And no candy equals no fun"
"I'm coming. I'm coming. Jeez…" said Catherine already going downstairs. "…Here I was thinking I had only one kid in the house"
"Now you have two and you like it" answered Sara kissing her on the lips. Catherine nodded with a smile. "Are you going to be a fairy?"
"A good witch actually. I already play the evil bitch…"
"Mom"
"Sorry, honey. I already play the evil one 313 days a year, so I think is fair that at least today I be a good one"
"You are not an evil person!" said Sara pretty serious. She hated when Catherine lowered herself like that.
"Tell that to the perps we arrested and to my daughter as well. I'm sure she thinks I'm a bitch every now and then" Catherine said whispering the last part in Sara's ear. "Did you grab everything you needed, sweetie? Remember, you are going to your aunt's house after we play a little"
"Yes, mom, I have everything. Including my pumpkin head"
"Why does she need a pumpkin head again?" Catherine asked turning the light off, setting the alarm and locking the door.
"Because it scares away the evil spirits and gives you ultimate protection" answered Lindsey. "Right, Sara?"
"Yes. The Celts believed that Halloween was a boundary between the living and the deceased, and the dead become dangerous to the living ones by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops"
"Hum"
"The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays, like us, dates back to the middle Ages and includes Christmas wassailing? Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day"
"I didn't know"
"Particularly in America, symbolism is inspired by classic horror films and, to a lesser extent, by science fiction. Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks, and scarecrows, are also prevalent."
"How do you know so much about Halloween?"
"Because she is a genius, mom! And a genius knows everything" said Lindsey rolling her eyes at her mother's question.
"I'm not any genius. I just like to know about different things". Catherine nodded and continued walking. Sara grabbed the little girls arm stopping her.
"What?"
"Your mother may not know about Halloween but she is a very smart woman. One of the smartest I know. It's not fair that you make her believe that she isn't" Sara said making sure Lindsey understood the seriousness of what she was saying. "Don't do that again, ok?" Lindsey looked down and nodded a yes.
"Can I go to that house, please?"
"Sure. Just be careful" Sara walked closer to Catherine and held her hand.
They walked along the sidewalk with Catherine never leaving Lindsey's side. There was a bunch of kids on the streets and the lights from the houses weren't enough. In real life there aren't any bad spirits, but there are certainly bad people and Catherine would die if something happened to Lindsey.
While Catherine watched her little girl, Sara watched the blonde with discretion. She could see by a change in the blonde's posture that Lindsey's words have had some effect on her. And she hasn't said a word since.
"I never knew about this day until today. I was surfing on the internet while Lindsey was in the shower. To be honest, I never cared about this. Or any other date for that matter"
"I'm sure my mom told me once, but I didn't listen to her. Well that and other stuff too. Maybe I should have"
"There are more important things to know than this, Cat. So don't think for a second that you are not a smart woman" whispered the brunette without being able to contain herself much longer.
"Oh come on, Sara. You can't deny that she prefers to talk to you and ask things of you over doing those same things with me. You can't deny how brilliant you are either. Or how many stories you can tell her, the real ones or pure fiction. Well, it makes total sense her choice!"
"What do you mean?"
"What do I know about history, legends, and geography, anyway? While you were being the smartest person in your class I was taking my clothes off for a hundred bucks."
"You danced, but you went back to school, didn't you? You became a csi, one hell of a csi, and a great mother. You know more about having a life than I do, Catherine. You can teach her more about how to be a better person, how to form a life and have a relationship. So I'm sorry, but what you just said is totally unfair. And I know why Lindsey talks to me more then you and it has nothing to do with your intelligence."
"It has everything to do with the fact that I'm an absent mother. That I don't care about her because I work all the time"
"Damn it, Catherine. Stop being stubborn and listen to me!"
"I'm listening" said Catherine as she stopped walking and looked at her.
"She doesn't talk to you, because she is afraid of you. Afraid of disappointing you"
"This is absurd. Why would she…"
"She doesn't want her doubts about school, or anything else, affect how much you love her. In her mind, she has to know everything a kid her age should know, so she doesn't have to be scared of losing you. It is a normal fear, Cat. You, me, everyone has it"
"Are you saying that she talks more with you because she doesn't have to prove anything to you?"
"Yes, because I'm more like a friend to her than a mother"
"But I would never stop loving her. I always tell her that"
"It's an unconscious fear. She cares too much about what you think and she always will".
"How can I change that? How can I make her believe me and never doubt?"
"How should I know? You are the people person, not me. I'm just telling you what I see and what she tells me"
"Ok"
"Are you going to stop feeling sorry for yourself now?"
"Yes" Catherine said looking to the floor ashamed.
"Hey, hey, look at me" when Catherine doesn't move, Sara raised her face up. "Though it is beautiful when you get all sad and hurt, I like it even more when you are happy and smiling. There you go. Come on, I think we better follow Lindsey now."
"Oh my God, Lindsey! I can't believe I let my stupid fears get the better of me and took my eyes from my daughter. If something happens to her I'm going to…"
"Nothing is going to happen" said Lindsey right behind them.
"Hey, why aren't you at some house having fun?"
"Because I saw you guys stopping and I knew it wasn't safe to go alone"
"That's my girl" said Catherine pulling the little blonde into a hug. "I love you"
"I love you too, but can you let go of me, I need to breathe"
"Oh, I'm sorry"
"Why did you guys stop anyway?"
"Cause your mom started talking too much crazy things and Sara needed to put some sense in her head" answered Catherine smiling to the brunette. "But I'm ok now" she completed looking to the little blonde.
"Talk about what things?"
"I had this feeling that you like Sara more than you like me. Because she knows more stuff than I do"
"And she does, but you are my mother. So I like you more" Sara looked at Catherine almost saying 'what did I tell you'. "I thought you adults didn't have this kind of doubts"
"We do, Lindsey, all the time" answered Sara touching the girl's hair. "We just don't like people knowing"
"But we don't have to hide this from you anymore, do we, that we have doubts?" Lindsey shakes her head no. "Does that make you think low about us?"
"No"
"That's good. I'm glad we think the same"
"We do?" whispered Lindsey to Sara who has at her right side. Sara just nodded. "Oh, ok. Are we going to visit some other houses before we go?"
"That depends. What do you want to do?"
"I think I want to grab more candy with Jeremy"
"Ok then. Let's go get the car"
"That's my Catherine! All smile and happy" whispered Sara hugging her from behind "I love you"
"I love you too".
tbc